Quest for the Moon
by Kagirinai-Eternal
Summary: Three thousand years ago, Artemis entered a contract with Tsar Lunar to shepherd spirits in exchange for the moon's power. Sandman, North, Toothiana, Bunnymund; all have had the guidance of the young goddess, but none as much as Jack Frost. Artemis has done her share of helping. Now, with the world of her birth falling in danger, it is her turn to call in a favor.
1. Prologue

Prologue – Percy

Word Count: 666

"_**Percy! Percy, you promised! Percy, where are you?! You promised!**__"_

Percy jolted awake with a shout, flailing in his sheets and falling off his bed, cracking his head on the sea stone floor of his cabin. "Ow," he moaned, cradling the wound. Whimpering sounded above him and he crawled his way back onto the bunk, wrapping his arms around Annabeth before her nightmares could take a firmer root. "Wake up, Wise Girl," he whispered. "It's not real; I'm right here…I always will be." He placed a gentle kiss beside her messy blond curls and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. Before long, she started to stir and her hand flew back, smacking soundly into his nose.

"That tickles, Seaweed Brain" she murmured sleepily.

"No, that _hurt_," he amended, rubbing his maimed appendage. Grinning wickedly, he grabbed her leg. "_This_ tickles." His fingers attacked the bottom of her foot ruthlessly, sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Noooooo! Stop!" Annabeth tried to squirm free, but Percy held on, even when he got kicked between the eyes. Cackling, he tickled his way up her legs and stomach until he reached "the spot" right behind her ears. It was an odd place to be ticklish, but it was like Annabeth's Achilles heel. She became helpless when he attacked there.

Mostly, he reminded himself as she elbowed him in the ribs, sending them both tumbling back to the floor, landing in a tangle of limbs. "I hate you, Seaweed Brain," she teased, poking him in the chest. "You know tickling isn't fair."

"Hey, you gave me the idea. Practically begged me to-" She cut him off with a kiss, smiling at his dazed look.

"I can fight dirty too, Percy."

"I admit defeat. You win, Wise Girl." He moved to reward her victory, but was interrupted as his cabin door swung open. Both teens jumped guiltily; they didn't exactly have permission to share a cabin, nightmares or not; but relaxed when they realized it wasn't Chiron or Mr. D.

Instead, Rachel zombie-shuffled across the floor, halting in front of them. Her flame red hair was in a tousled ponytail and her feet were bare, draped with her long silky pajamas and bathrobe. Glazed eyes stared down at the couple, lighting up with a green glow as the spirit of Delphi spoke through her.

"_When allies turn and friends betray, an enemy in darkness seeks light of day. Discord and Chaos join hand in hand, veteran heroes must rise and stand. Against this foe, the winter moon, shall prove a brilliant and potent boon."_

As the last words of the prophecy fell silent, Rachel's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed, flopping across the bed Tyson used when he visited camp. She snored a few times before coming to, pushing herself upright blearily. "Where…Percy? Annabeth?" She rubbed her head, looking at them in confusion. "Did we have a sleepover or something?"

Percy and Annabeth exchanged looks of concern, dread settling in their stomachs. "You brought us a prophecy," Annabeth explained, grabbing her shoes from under Percy's bed. She jammed them on and smoothed her hair, standing up. The teasing, romantic mood from before was gone and Percy followed her lead, as did Rachel…at least as best as she could, considering she had no shoes. "We should go tell Chiron."

"I'm sorry, guys," Rachel mumbled quietly, fiddling with a strand of hair. "Was it bad?"

"No worse than any other prophecy," Percy assured, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "I'll bet it's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah. I mean, we defeated _Gaia_…what could be worse than that?" Annabeth added, throwing an arm around the other girl's shoulders as well. Rachel seemed to relax at their words, but as she walked out in front of them, both demigods shared another look. Even if they hadn't both heard the prophecy, they would have known the other was lying. Both knew there was _always_ something worse.


	2. Chapter One

_~When allies turn and friends betray, an enemy in darkness seeks light of day. Discord and Chaos join hand in hand, veteran heroes must rise and stand. Against this foe, the winter moon, shall prove a brilliant and potent boon~_

**Chapter One - Jack**

_Word Count: 735_

Jack perched lazily on his staff, taking a moment to revel in the joy he was spreading, watching his first believers pelt each other with lethal projectiles of compacted ice. Yes, it was by far his greatest snowball fight in the last fifty years. Mostly because he was actually included in it on a physical level; something he was reminded of as a snowball exploded against his chest, knocking him off his staff into the snow.

"I hit Jack!" Jamie exclaimed, fist-bumping the sky. With a manic grin, the boy climbed onto his haphazard fortress and pointed at Jack with mock superiority. "Surrender your scepter, peon, and I may yet show you mercy. Kneel before Jamie, Conqueror of Winter!"

Jack made a show of staggering around before collapsing at Jamie's feet with a laugh. He hefted his staff up with a dramatic flourish, pointing the crook at his friend. "I admit defeat, oh mighty warrior." He convulsed and rolled his eyes back, going limp as Jamie pulled his staff from his grip. Wind's gentle fingers tousled his hair and he resisted the urge to laugh as his ethereal partner whispered a plan to him. "_Yes_," he whispered lowly, his lips barely moving and his voice no more than a breath of air itself.

Above him, Jamie was cackling like a madman, bouncing around on his snowbank. "Victory! Vicor-oof!" A sudden gust of wind pushed the boy backwards into a pile of fresh powder and blew Jack's staff up into the air.

"Better luck next time, kiddo," the winter spirit consoled, catching his staff and dusting Jamie with a fresh layer of soft snow while he muttered something about using the wind not being fair. "Snowball fights are my business, remember?"

"Sore loser…whoa!" Jamie pointed a finger at the sky as he stood up, mouth hanging open. Jack followed his gaze and felt his stomach twist. Glittering across the sky, bright despite the light of day, stretched the northern lights. The Guardians were being summoned.

"I gotta go. Catch up with you guys next time, okay?" With a final flurry of snow, Jack took to the air on a chorus of goodbyes, urging the wind to carry him north.

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In what seemed like no time at all – he could swear he was able to fly even faster since taking his oath – the northern branch of Santoff Clausen loomed ahead, cozy outbuildings dotting the pristine ice. Yetis could be seen trudging through the snow and Jack couldn't help but feel a certain warmth swell in his chest as he came closer to the workshop. As he came home. As much as he had longed for a family and a place to call home in his three hundred years alone, he hadn't realized just how much he had missed it until he had found his memories and joined the Guardians. Looking back, he saw how big a miracle it was that he had survived so long on his own. He knew he couldn't do it again, knowing what he did now.

With these happy thoughts giving him a toasty feel, he swooped down out of the sky and dove through the always-open window that led to the globe room…easy access for all flying Guardians and Manny's moonbeams. He laughed at a joke Wind was telling him as he entered the workshop, but his mood quickly soured as a silver arrow pierced through the hood of his sweatshirt, just below his ear, and pinned him to the wall. "What the hell?" he yelped, trying vainly to free himself.

"My, such language. I thought you were a protector of innocence?"

Jack's gaze dropped to the floor, lighting on a young girl who stood gazing up at him, a bow held loosely in her hands. She looked young, but had the same ageless feel that many spirits had. Something about her was…unnatural. "Who the hell are you?"

The girl frowned, nocking an arrow and aiming at him once more. "Mind your tongue, Jackson Overland, or this arrow will find a spot softer than cloth. I am an agent of your man in the moon and am to be respected." She waved her hand and the arrow holding him vanished, dropping him roughly to the floor just as the other Guardians arrived. She turned towards them and inclined her head in a courteous bow. "I am Artemis and I require your help."

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_**Remember, precious readers. Reviews are lovely things that are proven to be stimulating food for the Muses.**_


	3. Chapter Two

_~When allies turn and friends betray, an enemy in darkness seeks light of day. Discord and Chaos join hand in hand, veteran heroes must rise and stand. Against this foe the winter moon, shall prove a brilliant and potent boon~_

Chapter Two - Jack

Word Count: 1380

Artemis. Actual freaking _Artemis_. Jack had seen a lot of weird things in his years as a spirit, but this took the baklava. He glared at the proclaimed goddess with wary interest while his spindly fingers stitched together the holes she had put in his hoodie. On top of which, he was fighting to resist the very tempting urge to turn Bunny into an ice sculpture. If the kangaroo kept snickering about "Frosty bein' able ta sew" he was going to have to lose that battle of wills. Harrumphing, he tied off the thread and pulled his sweater on, narrowing his eyes at the auburn haired girl. She'd kept oddly quiet. "You really expect us to believe that you're the goddess of the hunt?"

Artemis smirked, probably amused that he knew who she was. "I do not care what you believe, Jackson Overland. Unlike you, my existence does not depend on it. However, I am who I say; you can either accept that into your miniscule male brain or not. The fact remains that I am, and always have been, an ally of Tsar Lunar and, by proxy, of you Guardians as well. None of your lives as spirits would have been possible without my guidance." She looked at each of them in turn and Jack could have sworn a hint of sadness darkened her gaze when her eyes settled on him again. "I have served my part of the contract with Tsar Lunar faithfully since my birth and now, I must call on a favor."

Tooth fluttered forward, hovering beside Artemis. "What sort of favor?"

"You all know of the old stories. Demigod heroes undertaking quests for the sake of Olympus. In fact, most of you were there for them." Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy all nodded, uneasy looks on their faces. "These stories are still being spun. A new generation of demigods walk the earth and they have seen and experienced more in their short lives than should be asked of any mortal. Unfortunately…" Artemis trailed off and gazed up through the skylight at the moon. Shaking her head, the girl squared her shoulders and continued. "My twin's oracle has revealed a new prophecy, one that I fear holds more dangers than any other before it. It is my wish that one of you join the demigods and help protect them in this coming fight."

The Guardians looked to each other and as one, lifted their eyes to Manny. Moonbeams twinkled and a soft voice entered their heads. _Help my huntress_, it murmured, and then was gone, the moon moving out of sight. Blinking, five gazes returned to Artemis. North spoke first.

"If Manny has willed it, it must be done! Lady Artemis, I will go!"

With a small smile, Artemis shook her head. "I appreciate your gusto, Nicholas, but you are not the one. I would prefer Toothiana, of course, but I fear she would be viewed as a particularly glamorous harpy…no offense meant, your majesty."

"None taken," Tooth replied, though she looked rather affronted.

"Even if that were not the case, the prophecy was unusually specific. To win this fight, the demigods need 'the winter moon'."

It took a moment for that to sink into Jack's brain, long enough for every stare to settle on him. "What, _me_? No offense, your ladyship or whatever, but how am _I_ supposed to help a bunch of people that can't _see_ me?"

Artemis frowned at him again. "Jackson Overland…do not insinuate that it is outside of my power to remove the Mist that shrouds you. You will be seen, have no fear of that. If I have your help, I swear upon the River Styx that never once during this quest will a blind eye be turned on you. Is this pact acceptable to you?"

He cast a glance around at his family. It was clear that they wanted him to agree, as Manny had instructed them to help. Sandy was blatantly nodding, shooting him a thumbs up. He pouted, not really liking the whole idea or trusting this Artemis chick, but he leaned on his staff and held out his hand. "Deal."

The goddess hesitated, looking vaguely repulsed as she regarded his hand, but finally gave it a delicate shake. "I cannot thank you enough, Jack Frost," she murmured, smiling as Jack felt the world spin away from him in a blur of blackness.

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The next thing Jack remembered was falling out of the sky. Normally, that would not have bothered him, but he quickly realized that his staff was nowhere in sight. Wind was doing her best to slow his descent, but without his conduit, she could not carry him. She was screaming enough for both of them, so Jack decided his efforts were better wasted trying to grab onto nothingness, becoming a blur of flailing limbs. His mind was blank aside from a single grateful thought that being immortal meant that at least the fall wouldn't kill him.

The ground sped closer, revealing an expanse of oak trees flanked on either side by empty plains. Directly below him, a tall pine tree reached toward the sky and he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for an extensive collection of cuts and scrapes. In the next instant, he smacked into a rough branch and proceeded to bounce his way down the trunk before landing on something hard and warm and…breathing.

Too warm breath made his hair flutter and his eyes shot open. A gold reptilian face gazed back down at him, its expression far from friendly. The creature snorted smoke from its nostrils and Jack felt his stomach bottom out. Fire plus winter spirit did not equal a good time. "Good dragon," he cooed, scrambling to his feet and backing away slowly, hands held up in a defensive gesture. "You don't wanna fry me. See, I'm going." For a second, he thought it was going to work, but apparently he took a step in the wrong direction. The dragon-thing reared up and stomped towards him, eyes blazing. Impressively frightening jaws opened and Jack jumped as Wind screeched at him, just barely avoiding a jet of flame that passed uncomfortably close to the soles of his feet.

Wind carried him as best she could, lengthening his leaps as he jumped up the branches of the pine tree and then as he made a desperate lunge for an oak tree that he knew he would not reach. It was too far without his staff, even if he hadn't been thrown off balance by the arrow that suddenly appeared, burying itself in his shoulder. He shouted in pain and fell.

A horn sounded nearby as he fell out of Wind's grasp, another jet of flame passing over his head, singing bits of his hair black. Oh, what he wouldn't give for one of Bunny's tunnels or, better yet, his staff. Anything that would get him out of this mess, actually, would be appreciated. Preferably before he burned…or melted…to death…or re-death. Whatever it was that happened to resurrected winter spirits.

Grunting with pain thanks to the arrow growing out of his shoulder, Jack rolled to the side, grabbing hold of a broken branch. With a defiant yell, he arched to his feet, coming up swinging. His makeshift club connected with the beast's head, knocking off its aim, though his sleeve still erupted in flame. Angrily, he stripped off his sweater, breaking the arrow shaft, and tossed it to the side. The air around him cooled noticeably and he growled as the dragon charged at him once more.

"Enough!" he bellowed, his powers exploding out of him, fueled by his anger, pain, and fear. Frost erupted across the grass and blossomed up the dragon's sides, thickening until the creature was encased in ice. Depleted, Jack sank to his knees, raising a hand to his bleeding wound, vaguely aware of footsteps approaching behind him. He paid them no mind; it wasn't like he could be seen. He pulled the broken arrow out of his skin and tossed it aside, folding in on himself. For the second time that day, the world within his vision went fuzzy. "I'm gonna kill Artemis for sending me to a dragon," he muttered, collapsing as everything went dark again.


End file.
